Investing.com - European stocks moved lower on Friday, as market sentiment weakened amid fresh concerns over geopolitical tensions following a U.S. missile strike in Syria.
During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 retreated 0.43%, France’s CAC 40 fell 0.25%, while Germany’s DAX 30 declined 0.53%.
Markets were jittery after the U.S. launched cruise missiles at an airbase in Syria, sparking concerns of an escalation in the Syrian civil war.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he ordered missile strikes against a Syrian airfield from which a deadly chemical weapons attack was launched.
The air strike came during a two-day summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping which, on Thursday, had a strong focus on trade and North Korea's military program.
Trump had warned that he would be ready to act unilaterally to address North Korea's nuclear program if China does not step up to help in the matter.
Financial stocks were broadly lower, as French lenders Societe Generale (PA:SOGN) and BNP Paribas (PA:BNPP) declined 0.40% and 0.31%, while Germany’s Deutsche Bank (DE:DBKGn) and Commerzbank (DE:CBKG) lost 0.19% and 0.68%.
Among peripheral lenders, Italy’s Intesa Sanpaolo (MI:ISP) and Unicredit (MI:CRDI) slid 0.32% and 0.56% respectively, while Spanish banks BBVA (MC:BBVA) and Banco Santander (MC:SAN) fell 0.25% and 0.23%.
Henkel VZO (DE:HNKG_p) added to losses, as shares retreated 1.60% after the German consumer goods group said it will keep looking for acquisitions to bolster its business.
Shares in Sanofi (PA:SASY) dropped 0.56% even as the French drugmaker received FDA clearance for a smartphone app with a built-in insulin dose calculator.
In London, commodity-heavy FTSE 100 edged down 0.18%, weighed by sharp losses in the mining sector.
Glencore (LON:GLEN) lost 1.36% and Antofagasta (LON:ANTO) tumbled 1.63%, while rival companies Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) and Anglo American (LON:AAL) plummeted 1.78% and 2.41% respectively.
Financial stocks were mostly lower, as the Royal Bank of Scotland (LON:RBS) declined 0.50% and Lloyds Banking (LON:LLOY) retreated 0.78%, while Barclays (LON:BARC) tumbled 0.90%. HSBC Holdings (LON:HSBA) was little changed, inching up just 0.05%.
Meanwhile, Standard Life (LON:SL) was one of the top performers on the index, with shares up 2.16% after the insurer said it is considering moving its European Union hub to Dublin as it prepares for the U.K. to lose access to the single market.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a lower open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.22% fall, S&P 500 futures showed a 0.27% decline, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.25% loss.